Club Cal Neva Karaoke

Now, I did warn you guys and gals up front that the majority of these entries were going to be for karaoke bars.  I suppose this one isn't going to be any different, so I'm going to skip talking about other aspects about the Cal Neva such as their slots, gaming tables or restaurants.  The focus of this particular entry is for their karaoke only.

Titan and I have been semi-regulars there since we moved here and discovered that the Cal Neva does karaoke Thursdays - Sundays from 8pm to 1pm or there abouts depending on how busy it is. 

The very first time we went there we were accepted not only by the KJ, Darren, but by the crowd.  On any given night the majority of the crowd is comprised of locals with a smattering of tourists.  And on the majority of nights, be they week day or weekend, are super busy.  If you want to get in more than one or two songs, be sure to be there early.  Otherwise, forget it.  Cal Neva karaoke is VERY popular.

Not only do they have an amazing song list (as most of the karaoke bars in the vicinity do), their drink specials are unmatched in the downtown Reno area.  Where else could one possibly get $1 tall cans of Budweiser or Twisted Tea?  Of course, I don't drink, but Titan does and for him it is usually these dollar beverages or double Whiskey and Diet Coke which for $4.25 (I believe) is not bad, either.

Darren is a super nice guy and has an amazing voice.  He is really accommodating to the singers providing chairs to those who may need one and gently reminding people that they can't bring drinks to the stage or take the wireless mic off the stage.  One thing I would like to see for his show is music in between singers, like filler music - NOT that multi-song crap that some places play. The silence in between songs is sometimes deafening.  In addition, I would love to see Darren get a little more engaged with the crowd.  Sometimes he'll remind the crowd to take care of the bartenders and the dealers, but not often.  Energy is sometimes lacking otherwise, LOVE Darren to death!

Sound is good although due to it being a casino environment the sound cannot be as loud as either I or Darren would like.  There is a stage monitor which is awesome because otherwise I don't believe that anyone would be able to hear the music being projected outward.  I guess the pit bosses don't like to hear super drunk people try to sing horrible country songs.. lol..

They have a regular sized stage that they used to have live shows perform on. I remember when I was in my younger days seeing all sorts of live shows on that stage.  The stage really gives the performance a "real" feel so how one entertains the crowd is up to them.  I usually find some way to engage the crowd in one way or another.  It's truly fun, but makes me nervous sometimes.

So, if you're in the area, you should certainly come down to the Cal Neva, have a drink and sing a song with Titan and me.  You won't regret it.

Overall, I give karaoke at the Cal Neva:

Faces Nightclub - Sacramento

So, on that same Sacramento trip when Titan and I went to the Distillery, we also went to Faces which was located a block away.  So, we walked.

Faces is not just a karaoke bar, but an actual nightclub and one of the best ones in Sacramento.  It's been around forever it seems, just like the Distillery.  There is a video bar where DJs play and mix music videos for patrons to dance to.  There is a back room that is lined with several mirrors and a booth for different DJs to play music for the dancing masses.  Off of that is a back patio for those who smoke.  Several years ago California passed a no smoking law.  The front room was where karaoke was held.

It is a really nice room although not the best for hosting karaoke.  The fireplace is a nice touch, though, especially during the cooler weather.  Out of the doors off that room was another smoking patio (pictured above).

Howard the KJ is one of the best I have ever sang with.  He keeps his rotations is good order and is fair when it comes to adding new singers, even those who show up in the middle of the evening.   I was not surprised to see how many people were there even for a Monday evening.  The song selection was excellent and the sound was great for the room.

Garrett, the bartender, was awesome.  He continued to fill my soda glass (always the driver am I) without me even asking (or charging me).  He was very attentive to Titan.  And, Garrett even moved our glasses down after some people usurped our chairs. Drink prices were just about the same as other places in downtown although higher than what we're used to.  Otherwise, the patrons were very friendly, and overall this was the most amazing karaoke I had been to in a while.

Overall, I give Faces Nightclub:

Distillery - Sacramento

Recently, Titan and I took a trip to Sacramento, Ca.  It was the first out-of-town trip that we had taken together and we went with the sole purpose of going to sing.  We had done some research and found the Distillery.  I do not believe that this bar is related in any way to Davidson's Distillery in Reno.

The Distillery is located in downtown Sacramento at 20th and L streets.  We walked in and took a seat at the bar.  The bartender, Alice, was raving excitedly about a group of people she had in earlier.  Apparently, their friends was on Jeopardy that evening and had won the final round even though all the contestants got the answer wrong.  Good for him!

The atmosphere was really pleasant.  The room was large and divided by a half wall.  When we got there it was dead, but that was to be expected on a Monday evening.  Even though karaoke started later than advertised and caused a minor irritation among Titan and me, once it got started it was fine. 

The song selection was fairly typical of other karaoke bars we had been to.  They had all of our regular songs and the sound was decent.  In a room such as that it is difficult to get the sound quality to be good although there were a few things that could have been done to tweak it a little to make it sound better.

Really, the only complaint that I had about the evening was that the KJ, a guy, was rather unfriendly.  I had given him a half dozen songs and said that he could choose whatever song he wanted.  He replied that he wasn't going to dictate what I sang.  Wow.  That's the first time that a KJ wouldn't play along with me. 

The bartender had served free quesadillas earlier in the evening. They were really good and it was a great treat.  Drink prices were a bit on the high side, but typical of downtown Sacramento.  Patrons were really friendly and came up to Titan and I on a few occasions to tell use how much they liked our songs and how well they thought we sang.  It's always nice to get a compliment from a perfect stranger.  Both the bartender and the KJ invited us to come back anytime. 

Overall I give the Distillery:

Spiro's Spirals Downward

So Titan and I were looking for a new place to sing karaoke last night. Something a bit closer to home.  The first place we found that had advertised karaoke actually closed before 11pm on a Friday night.  Okay, no matter. So, we went to our second choice.  Spiro's Sports Bar and Grille in Sparks, NV.  Please keep in mind that when I rate bars, it is from the perspective of their karaoke for the most part.  That is usually what Titan and I go for.

Honestly, this place needs to decide if they are going to be a sports bar or a karaoke bar.  It has a better chance at remaining a sports bar.  There were several televisions to watch sports of all kind although the only thing on at that time of night were the recaps from several previous events.  There were plenty of slot machines on the bar with which to lose copious amounts of money.

The bar itself was fairly nice and the space itself was decent.  There was a second room in the back that had pool tables which no one was using.  I probably would have played a game or two if I wasn't waiting with baited breath to sing.

We didn't get there until about 11pm and it took us a bit to figure out where there books were. They were hard to see because the artist and title sections made up about a half inch total in book space.  Their only brand of songs were Monster Hits, which are one of the poorest quality brands of karaoke songs available on the market.

After about five minutes of looking through this pamphlet of songs we each chose a song and waited patiently to sing.  When we got there it was fairly busy.  Typical of most bars on a weekend night.  And we waited.

Sometime around 1130 they began to play a string of really terrible Top 40 songs including that ubiquitous "Cupid Shuffle" which seems to be a favorite among many.  Titan and I personally cannot stand the song, but suffered through listening to it in the assumption that they were taking a short break from singing and then moving on.  After a half hour or so of this crappy music they finally began the singers again.

Now, I have been singing karaoke for over 15 years and I can honestly say that this KJ was one of the worst I had ever seen.  Not only did she not put new singers (Titan and me) into the rotation before the dreaded music break, she didn't allow new singers to sing after the break.  After the break it was the top of the rotation, and we watched every singer who we had heard sing continue to sing. An hour and a half went by and still we hadn't gotten to sing. We decided to leave with a very bitter taste in our mouths and mind.

Not only did we not get to sing, I began to get a headache due to the intense nature of the treble in the microphone that the KJ didn't seem to notice. And speaking of the KJ, she was the single most unfriendly person I had ever been in contact with.  She gave blank looks to Titan and when I went finally give my song slip, she took it without a single word.  There was no welcoming words of any kind from either her or the bar staff.

The blond working behind the bar must have been having a bad night.  Either that, or we weren't the type of people to be patronizing the bar.  True, it was filled with a bunch of younger jock types, but so? 

This bar's only saving grace was the male bartender whose name we didn't get.  He was attentive and smiled.  He didn't sneer when I told him I was only drinking water because I was the driver. They also have happy hour from midnight to 4am where it appears that the drinks are half price.  Titan told me that the drinks the blond was making before midnight tasted like they had no alcohol in them.  After midnight with the guy they were half the price and actually tasted like there was alcohol in them.  Shouldn't they taste the same no matter who pours?

I usually tell people that I am willing to try anything twice. In the case of Spiro's, I will never be visiting this place ever again for karaoke. And since I am not a huge sports fan, I do not foresee going there for anything.

Overall I give Spiro's Sports Bar and Grille:

And honestly I feel that is very generous.